Excerpts from Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle

Departing from the British Isles, Darwin traveled around the world from 1831 to 1836 on H.M.S. Beagle, serving as the captain's companion and a naturalist. Under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy, the Beagle's task was to survey the coastal waters of South America, opening them up to merchant vessels and foreign missions. As the naturalist, Darwin recorded his observations of the natural world and collected samples from various locations. He recorded his observations by writing in a diary that was published under the title of The Voyage of the Beagle.